


.duty

by AkaToMidori



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-19 04:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22004905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkaToMidori/pseuds/AkaToMidori
Summary: Sho had been sitting on the bench in front of the fountain in the palace gardens for ten minutes already when he heard the footsteps behind him.
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36
Collections: Sakuraiba Tanabata 2019-2020





	.duty

**Author's Note:**

> _Dec 28_  
>  Prompt: “I shouldn’t be in love with you.”

Sho had been sitting on the bench in front of the fountain in the palace gardens for ten minutes already when he heard the footsteps behind him. 

The _pat-pat_ muffled by the grass all around stopped a few seconds later, and the figure sat beside him in silence. Even with his eyes closed, Sho could recognize the faint lemongrass scent Aiba would always carry with him wherever he went. 

Neither spoke for a while, both too busy trying to understand the intensity of the loss they were about to experience. They knew this moment would come one day, but whatever they thought they would feel was nothing compared to the actual feelings they were experiencing now. 

Aiba was the first to break the silence.

“I shouldn’t be in love with you,” he whispered, as if even the thought of not loving Sho was absurd to him. “I’m getting married to your sister tomorrow.”

Sho took Aiba’s hand and brought it to his lips. He left a little kiss on every knuckle, but when he was done, he didn’t let go of it, placing their joined hands down between them on the bench as he looked up at the moon. 

“Do you think things would have been different if we weren’t princes? If we didn’t have kingdoms to rule over, maybe…” he turned around to look at Aiba. “Maybe you and I could have…” his voice trailed off. 

Aiba’s eyes filled with tears. When they were little, whenever Sho would cry, Aiba would cry too, so as they grew up, Sho learned to control his tears, because he never wanted to see Aiba be sad again. From around the time he turned eight, whenever the younger prince looked like he was about to cry, Sho would tell him a stupid joke to make him laugh instead. That night, though, his mind couldn’t come up with a single funny thing to tell him, so he did the next best thing he could think of, and kissed him. 

It wasn’t a long kiss, no matter how much he wanted it to be. They were still on palace grounds, and they couldn’t risk being seen by anyone, or they would be accused of treason and probably lose their lives. Or worse, only one of them would. They could hold hands in the dark, but kissing was too risky. 

Still, Sho tried to make every second count. He pressed as hard as he could on Aiba’s lips to convey all of his love, and tasted the salt from his tears. ‘ _Ah,_ ’ he thought, _‘mission failed, Sakurai._ ’

He moved away a moment later, his lips tingling, his tongue mourning the lost chance to meet with its soulmate. But Aiba, – impatient, impulsive Aiba, – wouldn’t take any of it. He pulled hard on their intertwined hands, while with the other he reached around to push on Sho’s nape and crash their mouths together again. 

To his credit, Sho tried to get away, but Aiba had always been the strongest between them, and Sho didn’t really want him to stop anyway. So when Aiba licked his lower lip and inched so close that their chests were almost touching, he decided that he had fought long enough, and gave in completely. 

Sho let himself go entirely and melted in Aiba’s arms while his fingers were caressing his hair, soothing him into the kiss. His heart skipped a beat when he felt himself fall from the bench, but the soft flowerbed and Aiba’s hand broke the fall, cradling him into safety. 

Sho didn’t know how long Aiba protracted their kiss, but knowing this was the last time, knowing this would _have_ to be the last time, he didn’t want it to end. If he could have, he would have made time stop at that moment and that moment alone, so that he could hold and be held by Aiba forever. 

No responsibilities. No crowns. No duties. 

Just two people in love. 

Sho had been sitting on the bench in his palace gardens for hours before he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He affectionately traced the letters of a name on the piece of parchment he had in his hand, before folding it accurately and safely putting it back into the pocket of his vest, right above his heart. 

“You’re here again?” the voice asked. 

Sho didn’t reply. But then again, the other never expected him to. 

With a sigh, the man sat beside him on the bench. 

“You have to let go, sire.” 

Sho smiled bitterly at that. “I can’t, Jun.” 

Jun sighed once more. “He wrote to you again?” 

Sho nodded. “I’m an uncle.” He smiled against himself. “It’s a girl.”

Jun saw the prince’s figure crumble on himself as he covered his face with his hands and started sobbing. He wished he could do more, but he knew nothing he could do would mend his broken heart. As he stood there watching over him, offering him his silent support, he looked up at the moon, praying to the gods with all his might that one day, his prince would be happy again.


End file.
